I am really excited and looking forward to traveling back to RI to visit my family and friends next week. We are having our 3rd annual family reunion at my daughter, Mary’s, farm. She is an amazing hostess and cook and goes all out for our reunion. She certainly didn’t learn her cooking skills from her mamma. I am learning from her and now I make what she calls a “Farm Breakfast” in Maui.

Larry will be joining me for two weeks and we will visit his sons who also live on the east coast. I am looking forward to my children meeting him and he meeting my children. After all, for the last 2 years when I talked about my friendship with Larry to Mary, she would always say, “Mom, what is up with you and Larry, you are always together?” I would simply say, “Mary, we are just friends and we are happy with that,” end of story!!! Well, it wasn’t the end of the story, but just the beginning because Spirit had other plans and I had to be hit over the head to see that my soul mate was right in front of me all of the time. I now know that the TIMING wasn’t right and we both had to do some “inner work” to be ready to receive the glorious gift of spiritual love that we are now experiencing.

I am so grateful that I didn’t give up or get discouraged. I kept believing and trusting that I followed my heart when I moved to Maui to meet my soul mate. I trusted that God had placed the desire of my heart in my heart and it would be fulfilled in God’s perfect timing. Of course, there were times when I felt down and even angry that we hadn’t met yet, especially when I saw friends getting into relationships.

I allowed myself to feel my feelings and then moved through them and practiced being grateful for exactly where I was. I have a card that my friend, Mary, sent me that I just love to read. It says: “Good things happen to those who wait.” I am very happy that I waited because I have never experienced this kind of love before.

Many of you who have been reading my blogs for the last few years know my journey and how I manifested living in Maui. For those of you who are new to my blog, I would like to share some of the path that I took to be living my dream.

It started in August 2010, when a woman by the name of Ruth called and asked me if I would be interested in speaking at the Westminster Unitarian Church in Rhode Island. Ruth said, “I saw your name on a flier for another event that you were speaking at.” I said, “Yes, I would be happy to do that and I will send you a copy of my book, Simply a Woman of Faith.”

A few days before I was scheduled to speak at the church, Ruth and I met to discuss the songs and format of the service. When we were done, Ruth said, “Pat, being a woman of faith, what do you want to do next in your life?” I said, “I want to MOVE to Hawaii.” Ruth then said, “Well, I will introduce you to Ellen after the service because she lives in Hawaii.” I smiled and said. “Thank you, I would appreciate that.”

And the rest is history and little did I know that my life was about to change dramatically. When Ruth introduced me to Ellen after the service, Ellen said, “I am stepping out in faith and moving back to Maui.” I said, “It has always been my dream to VISIT Maui.” Ellen looked me in the eyes and said, “You can stay with me for as long as you want and you can use my car while you are there.” She then pulled out a post card from her pocketbook with her condo overlooking the ocean on it.

Of course, I was shocked but my spirit soared because I sensed this was a gift from God. I asked myself, “Would I be able to RECEIVE this gift graciously and say yes?” After all, I didn’t even know this woman and she didn’t know me. After I went home and prayed about it, I called Ellen and asked if I could visit her for Thanksgiving for two weeks. She was thrilled and said “YES.”

This was a big step for me as I had never been away from my children for Thanksgiving and I had never traveled 5,000 miles for a vacation. And on of top of that, I didn’t even know Ellen and I was going to be living with her in her home. I guess you could call that “stepping out in faith” or just a “gutsy lady.” I kind of like “gutsy lady.” What do you think?

“Mother Maui” was magical, mystical and beautiful. Not only was she beautiful with her flowers, mountains and oceans, but there was a presence of Spirit that pulsates your very being. I find it hard to put into words the feelings it evokes in me, other than love, peace and joy. People smile and say hello and there is a feeling of oneness with all.

Needless to say, I fell in love with “Mother Maui” and I think “Mother Maui” fell in love with me. I knew in my Spirit that something very deep inside of me had shifted, but at the time, I didn’t know what it was. When I left to go home, Ellen said to me, “Keep the vision of coming back.” I did keep the vision and returned for 1 month the next year. It was then that I heard Spirit inviting me back to live for 6 months.

Again, I stepped out in faith, bought my plane ticket back to Maui and rented my condo in RI. I learned many valuable lessons the 6 months I lived there. But most of all, I learned how TO BE in the mystery of not knowing and to live in the moment.

In September 2012, I moved back to Maui to live permanently and I have never been happier. The legend is that “Mother Maui” will spit you out if you are not meant to be there. Thank you “Mother Maui” for embracing me to be your vessel of love.

I was delighted when Ruth called me a few months ago and told me she was coming to Maui for a month. She invited me to speak at her church again when I return next week. I will be speaking at the Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich, Rhode Island on August 17 . The service starts at 9:30 a.m. and you are all invited. I am thrilled to be sharing my faith and all that has manifested in my life – all because I said YES to the invitation from God and YES to Ellen’s generosity. The title of my talk is “Living in the Mystery of Faith and Trusting in the Divine Plan.”

While Ruth was visiting here, we talked about our first meeting together before I spoke at the service. What is interesting is that Ruth reminded of me of what I said about wanting to LIVE in Hawaii. I don’t remember saying that I wanted to LIVE in Hawaii. I thought I just said, I wanted to VISIT Hawaii. Be careful what you say because you just might get it! I love how the Universe works and what you think about you bring about.